SPOKANE John A. Pring Sr., a retired Spokane and Coeur d'Alene businessman and entrepreneur and former Lewiston resident, died of causes related to age Wednesday afternoon at his Spokane home. He was 86.
He was born March 28, 1906, in Lewiston to Oliver Perry and Mabel Gregory Pring.
He began working at the age of 12, when he took 16 horses to work in the harvest fields during the summer in the Walla Wal la area.
He left high school in the 10th grade to go to California to prospect, then worked the rodeo circuit, riding bucking horses.
He later returned to Spokane, where he worked for Piggly Wiggly Markets, becoming manager of one of the stores at the age of 21.
In 1928, he went to work for Appleway Motors (now Appleway Chevrolet) at Spokane and bought his partner out of the business several years later.
During the Depression years and World War II, he branched out into construction land development and in the 1940s, opened the Dishman Bank at Spokane. In 1955, he sold the bank to Seattle First National.
The same year, his son took over the auto dealership. The business was later taken over by his grandsons.
In later years, he took up cattle ranching and most recently had helped promote construction of a golf course along Lake Coeur d'Alene.
Active in community and civic affairs, he was a past member of the Athletic Round Table, the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Spokane New Car Dealers Association, the West Valley School Board and the Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include a son, John A. Pring Jr. of Spokane; a daughter, Donna Gillis of Spokane; a sister, Olive Phillips of Lewiston, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
His wife, Pauline Weitz Pring, died in 1951.
His funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home, 1306 N. Pines Road, Spokane.
The family suggests memorials be sent to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, E. 1004 Eighth, Spokane, Wash. 99202, or to Teen-Aid of Spokane, 1330 N. Calispel, Spokane, Wash. 99201.
